February Pleasant Hill Mayor's Message

Jan 30, 2017 07:35AM
● By Michael Harris

by Michael G. Harris, OD

Mayor, City of
Pleasant Hill

As
we begin the New Year and I begin my fourth term as Pleasant Hill’s mayor, I'd
like to thank Mayor Sue Noack for helping make 2016 such a wonderful year for our
city. Sue managed to attend every event in town and served our city with grace
and dedication.

I
also want to thank former Councilmember David Durant for his 17 years of
service on the city council. David's knowledge and insight have made our city a
better place to live and work. Congratulations to our recently re-elected Councilmembers
Ken Carlson and Tim Flaherty and City Treasurer Mark Ceilo. Congratulations and
a warm welcome to newly elected Councilmember Matt Rinn. And a special thanks to
our marvelous staff for all the hard work and effort they put in on behalf of
our residents.

2016
was a banner year for Pleasant Hill. We launched our mobile phone app, Ask
PHill, which allows for fast and easy communication between residents and city
staff. We completed numerous improvement projects, including the Golf Club Road
Bridge replacement and new sidewalks on Boyd and Elinora. Other projects
scheduled for completion early this year are the Contra Costa Blvd.
improvements, Old Quarry Road roundabout, and citywide street resurfacing. The
city will be spending $15.6 million on capital improvement projects this fiscal
year to make your city safer and more beautiful.

To
me, our most exciting accomplishment last year was the passage of Measure K,
which opens a new chapter for our city. Passed with 67% approval, Measure K
will add an additional $4 million per year to our coffers, which will be used
for street upgrades, sidewalks, bike paths, storm drains, and a new library.

This
year’s financial picture is extremely strong. Even before Measure K gets
implemented, we anticipate $24.5 million in revenue, 38% from sales tax. Our
estimated expenditures total $26 million, with the majority going to personnel
costs and capital improvements. (Expenditures include additional funds for
street resurfacing.)

In my
previous three terms as mayor, I introduced programs to improve the quality of
life of our residents: in 2005, Community Service Day, which celebrates its 13th
anniversary this year; in 2009, the Senior Summit; and in 2013, The Pleasant
Hill Education Initiative.

This
year is no different. Based on the overwhelming support for Measure K, this
year’s program will center on designing our new library. (Thanks to the Library
Task Force for getting us to this point.) Imagine a modern library with ample free
parking welcoming over 1600 visitors a day to an open floor plan with tens of thousands
of books and other items. Space would be flexible to accommodate large
gatherings as well as small afterschool activities. It would have conference
rooms and study spaces for homework clubs and tutoring

The
library would have an expanded children’s area and a teen area designed to
provide a safe, social, and inspiring destination for young people. This
21st-century library would have state-of-the-art technology and equipment,
providing the ultimate workspace for adults and students. And, it could have a Friends
of the Library Bookstore, staffed by volunteers, with the proceeds going to library
programs and collections.

Throughout
the design process, there will be ample opportunity for public engagement and
input through a series of workshops and public hearings. With your help, we
will design and build a new library that will make our community stronger. For,
"Without libraries, what are we? We have no past and no future."